The NOAA Marine Debris Program funded two research projects with recently published papers to better understand the regional derelict trap issue in the Southeast. The projects focused on derelict lobster traps in the Florida Keys and derelict fish traps in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Traps become marine debris as they are lost or abandoned in the marine environment. The impacts of derelict fishing traps are three fold: (1) Derelict traps can continue to ensnare and kill fish and other organisms. Fish that die in derelict traps won’t be part of the harvestable catch for fishermen, and won’t reproduce in the future. (2) Derelict traps are lost to the fishermen, who will need to replace every lost trap. (3) Derelict traps damage the habitat, which can negatively impact where the fish live and eat. The papers explore the abundance and accumulation of debris as well as the impacts these types of derelict fishing gear have on various marine habitats and the fishing economy, and what potential solutions, such as gear modification and disposal programs, can help reduce these impacts.

For links to the journal articles, and a deeper dive in the research projects, visit the marine debris blog or contact Courtney.Arthur@noaa.gov.

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